Abstract
The focus of this paper is the religious education of Western monasticism in the early 6th century. It mainly deals with the divine reading (lectio divina) in The Rule of St Benedict and The Rule for Nuns of Caesarius of Arles. The adjective "divine" refers to the nature or quality of the texts being read. They are not profane literature, but include the Old and New Testament, the Fathers of the Church, or some other monastic writing such as the Rule of Basil of Caesarea, the Conferences and Institutes of John Cassian, or the Lives of desert fathers. The activity of "reading" has been understood traditionally as a meditative, reflective, prayerful reading. Through the divine reading nuns and monks prepare for the divine office which is the heart of liturgical life in the monastery and so aim for the perfection of monastic life. The Rule of St Benedict calls this monastery a school for the Lord's service (scola dominici servitii). This can also be applied to the women's monastery of Caesarius of Arles.
